Russian scientist Kseniia Petrova smuggled frog embryos into US being held in ICE jail for deportation
Share and Follow

A Russian scientist working at Harvard Medical School who was apprehended by ICE three months ago is now facing charges of attempting to import frog embryos unlawfully into the United States, announced federal prosecutors.

Kseniia Petrova, a research associate at the Ivy League school, has been holed up at an ICE facility ever since she nabbed after flying into Boston’s international airport with the stash of embryos back in February.

The 31-year-old Russian, who had just come back from a vacation in Paris, initially denied having to declare anything when probed by Customs and Border Protection, the feds allege.

A search of her duffle bag allegedly uncovered a foam box containing clawed frog embryos in microcentrifuges, as well as embryonic samples in paraffin well stages and on mounted dyed slides, prosecutors said.

Petrova later allegedly admitted to carrying biological material but claimed she didn’t no she was required to declare it.

Text messages recovered from her phone showed that a colleague had told her she’d needed to declare the goods, according to prosecutors.

“If you bring samples or antibody back, make sure you get the permission etc. Like that link I sent to leon-/group chat about frog embryos because TSA went through my bags at customs in Boston,” one text read, according to a criminal complaint.

“What is your plan to pass the American Customs with samples? This is the most delicate place of the trajectory,” another text read.

Petrova allegedly responded: “No plan yet. I won’t be able to swallow them.”

Her research visa was immediately revoked after she was detained.

She has been held at an immigration detention facility in Louisiana ever since.

In additional to deportation, Petrova now faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of smuggling goods into the US.

Her lawyer, Gregory Romanovsky, ripped the case as “meritless.”

“The charge, filed three months after the alleged customs violation, is clearly intended to make Kseniia look like a criminal to justify their efforts to deport her,” he said in a statement.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Indiana Jones whip snaps up $525,000 at auction after ‘Citizen Kane’ sled goes for $14.75 million

Indiana Jones’ Whip Fetches $525,000 at Auction, While ‘Citizen Kane’ Sled Shatters Records at $14.75 Million

A whip wielded by Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Last…
Scripps Research CEO's private plane goes missing over the Pacific Ocean

CEO of Scripps Research’s Private Jet Disappears Over Pacific Ocean

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has…
2 CBP officers plead guilty to ID fraud charge, confess to cheating on physical fitness test

Two Customs and Border Protection Officers Admit to Identity Fraud and Cheating on Fitness Exam

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) Two federal law enforcement officers who cheated on a…
U.S. program to combat HIV/AIDS survives Trump's latest round of cuts

U.S. Initiative to Fight HIV/AIDS Remains Intact Despite Latest Trump Budget Cuts

WASHINGTON — PEPFAR, the popular global HIV/AIDS program credited with saving millions…
‘Smoke’s Dennis Lehane Wrote Esposito’s Character Just For John Leguizamo: “I Was Like, If I Get Another Chance To Work With Him, I’m Gonna Let It Rip. And I Did.”

Dennis Lehane Crafted Esposito’s Role in ‘Smoke’ Exclusively for John Leguizamo: “I Was Determined to Collaborate with Him Again, So I Went All Out. And I Achieved It.”

When Dennis Lehane decided to bring his new Apple TV+ series, Smoke,…
House passes rescissions package slashing $9 billion in federal funding for foreign aid, NPR and PBS

The House Approves Budget Cuts, Reducing $9 Billion in Funds for Foreign Aid and Public Broadcasting

House Republicans approved a clawback package Thursday that will cut $9 billion…
Pilot with 'ideological motive' steals small aircraft and disrupts major international airport operations

Pilot with ‘ideological motive’ steals small aircraft and disrupts major international airport operations

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A stolen plane triggered…
Beyoncé fan's scream over bug sparked stampede after ‘Cowboy Carter’ show in Atlanta, hospitalizing 11

Panic Ensues as Beyoncé Fan’s Reaction to Bug Triggers Rush at ‘Cowboy Carter’ Concert in Atlanta, Injuring 11

The scream of a 10-year-old girl caused a frenzied stampede, leading to…